Verse 2

Amritbindu

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः । बन्धाय विषयासक्तं मुक्त्यै निर्विषयं स्मृतम् ॥२॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

मनः । एव । मनुष्याणाम् । कारणम् । बन्ध-मोक्षयोः । बन्धाय । विषय-आसक्तम् । मुक्त्यै । निर्-विषयम् । स्मृतम् ॥

IAST Transliteration

mana eva manuṣyāṇāṃ kāraṇaṃ bandha-mokṣayoḥ | bandhāya viṣayāsaktaṃ muktyai nirviṣayaṃ smṛtam ||2||

Translation

मन ही मनुष्यों के बंधन और मोक्ष का कारण है। विषयों में आसक्त मन बंधन के लिए है; विषय-रहित मन मोक्ष के लिए कहा गया है।

Academic Translation

Mind alone is the cause for humans of bondage and liberation. Attached to objects it is for bondage; devoid of objects it is remembered to be for liberation.

Verse Context

• Bandha–mokṣa as mind-dependent (adhyāsa/saṅga vs. vairāgya)
• Mahavakya: Indirect: establishes the psychological/epistemic condition for realizing mahāvākyas—object-attachment sustains misidentification; object-free mind supports ātma-bodha.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)